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New software system affecting Harlingen Waterworks customers

New software system affecting Harlingen Waterworks customers
1 month 5 days 13 hours ago Wednesday, October 02 2024 Oct 2, 2024 October 02, 2024 10:11 PM October 02, 2024 in News - Local

Sue Groves said she’s been a Harlingen Waterworks System customer for several years. 

Groves told Channel 5 News that last month, she had an issue when she tried to pay her bill online. 

"The automated system said they were changing over to a new digital system, and they wanted customers to go onto their website and make a completely new account with a 16-digit account number,” Groves said.

According to Groves, she’s been calling Harlingen Waterworks System representatives, but the calls have not gone through.

Groves is not alone with his issue.

“We received over 600 calls a day…. But what was happening, the system was dropping the calls — something that we weren't even aware the system would do,” Harlingen Waterworks System interim General Manager David Sanchez said.

According to Sanchez, customers were sent letters and emails about a new software that updated the utility company’s 20-year-old system. The update has been creating several problems for customers.

“Some of the issues we have been having is double billing, we have had some wrong addresses," Sanchez said. “We had to disable a portion of the system involving a remote payment because the two systems were not talking together."

Staff at Harlingen Waterworks are now reviewing accounts by hand until the issue with the software company gets resolved.

Sanchez says there is no timeline on when the issues could be resolved, but he wants customers to know “nobody is going to be disconnected for non-payment due to an error."

“Please understand that we are here for them, we are sorry for the inconvenience, but it was not something done intentionally,” Sanchez said.

Customers having problems with the online portal are being recommended to do in person payments. 

Watch the video above for the full story. 

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